CONFIDENTIAL
027565
MDHIAN 4184
CONFIDENTIAL
FM UKMIS GENEVA
TO IMMEDIATE FCO
TELNO 713
1
OF 021514Z DECEMBER
INFO IMMEDIATE HANOI, HONG KONG, BANGKOK
176/24316
нко 243R
YOUR TELNO 288 TO HANOI AND HONG KONG TELNO 4421: VIETNAMESE BOAT-PEOPLE IN HONG KONG: REPATRIATION
SUMMARY
(931
1. VOLUNTARY REPATRIATION VIA BANGKOK USING ICM NOT ADVISABLE. PROPOSALS CLASH WITH UNHCR/VIETNAM MOU AND DRAFT UK/VIETNAM AGREEMENT. PREMATURE ACTION BY HONG KONG WOULD UNDERMINE COOPERATION
AND UNDERSTANDING SO FAR ACHIEVED WITH UNHCR.
DETAIL
2. ALTHOUGH WE UNDERSTAND HONG KONG'S FRUSTRATION ABOUT SLOW
PROGRESS OF UNHCR/VIETNAM NEGOTIATIIONS AND ANXIETY TO COMPLETE RETURN TO VIETNAM OF FIRST BATCH OF VOLUNTEERS BEFORE END OF YEAR, WE MUST ADVISE CONSIDERABLE CAUTION ABOUT TRYING TO PRE-EMPT UNHCR
ON PRACTICAL ARRANGEMENTS FOR RETURN.
J
3 VIEIRA DE MELLO (UNHCR ASIA BUREAU) CONFIRMED ON 2 DECEMBER THAT UNHCR/VIETNAM MOU WILL BE SIGNED IN GENEVA ON 14/15 DECEMBER. MOU CONTAINS SPECIFIC LANGUAGE ABOUT USE OF UNHCR STANDARD VOLUNTARY APPLICATION FORM AS TRAVEL DOCUMENT FOR THE PURPOSE OF RETURN FROM THE COUNTRY OF ASYLUM TO VIETNAM ''UNLESS THE USE OF OTHER DOCUMENTS IS SPECIFICALLY AGREED''. IN DISCUSSIONS WITH UNHCR, VIETNAM ALSO MADE CLEAR THAT IT EXPECTS RETURNEES FROM HONG KONG TO BE FLOWN DIRECTLY FROM HONG KONG TO VIETNAM AND NOT VIA, FOR EXAMPLE, BANGKOK. THESE UNDERSTANDINGS ARE REFLECETED IN PARAS 3(E) AND (F)
OF DRAFT UK/HONG KONG/VIETNAM AGREEMENT CHANOI TELNO 456). WE DO NOT
THINK IT WISE TO CONSIDER OTHER ARRANGEMENTS AT THIS STAGE. IT RISKS
CROSSING WIRES AND COULD SET BACK PROGRESS WHICH UNHCR HAS NOW MADE WITH VIETNAM.
4. TO SUM UP UNHCR FULLY APPRECIATE NEED FOR QUICK PROGRESS. THEY
HAVE, IN OUR VIEW, RIGHTLY FOCUSSED ON FINALISING TEXT OF MOU RATHER THAN BEGIN MAKING PRACTICAL ARRANGEMENTS, AS LATTER DEPENDED ON OUTCOME. THIS POINT HAS BEEN REPEATEDLY STRESSED TO US HERE AND, WE
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